The RaconteursConsolers of the Lonely
The Raconteurs caught everybody by surprise when they released their second album, Consolers of the Lonely, with only a week’s notice. That’s usually a bad sign—hide the disc to prevent bad press that’ll depress early sales—but it’s not the case here. The songs borrow unabashedly from classic rock bands and their arena-oriented take on the blues. The songs by the Greenhornes’ Brendan Benson and the White Stripes’ Jack White catch, buzz and stomp, all with enough tune to make them memorable. Not surprisingly, the ghost of Zeppelin haunts the disc, but never exclusively nor so obviously as to sound like a lift or homage. And as much as they like the crunch of hard guitars, White’s knack for deceptive melodies shines through. Subscribe to offBeat and receive a FREE JazzFest CD! |
